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15 Dec 2013
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Saturday 7/12/2013<br />
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On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Jordan Media Institute organized a lecture presented by the Jordanian journalist Nisreen Abu Salha on the role of the media in covering news related to persons with disabilities.<br />
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Abu Salha provided a detailed definition of the term “persons with disabilities”, stressing that disability lies within the environmental factors which inhibit the ability to meet the requirements of a normal life. She noted that the role of the community and society institutions is to provide the necessary equipment that suits environmental conditions, ensuring that persons with disabilities exercise their rights on an equal basis with others, as well as moving away from the concept of reliance and the need for care.<br />
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She added that the society plays a significant role in providing tools of access and ways of participation for persons with disabilities, including raising the society’s awareness of related rights and duties, and working hard to get them implemented on the ground.<br />
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With regard to covering the news of persons with disabilities, Abu Salha affirmed that it is the responsibility of media to raise the society’s awareness, adding that this can be implemented through organizing intensive awareness campaigns, as well as raising serious issues and cases in a professional way, away from humor and sentiments of pity.<br />
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She added that the media needs to work intensively on establishing the concept of integration for persons with disabilities in order to achieve their full participation in all aspects of life and without any form of discrimination. She explained that nowadays the number of persons with disabilities has reached around one billion, which is 15% of the world’s population.